Work handling unit



Dec. 4, 1945. H. H. coLsoN 2,390,293 4 wpRK HANDLING UNIT Filed Deo. 19, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR. l fl/mu 715011 Dec. 4, 1945. H. H. cOLsoN 2,390,293

WQRK HANDLING UNIT Filed Dec. 19, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 arms, lengthwise thereof, means such as pinion 3 and Y rotating the work m1:-

Patmed Dec. 4, 194s e UNITED STATES *PATENT* OFFICE 2,390,293 I n v wom: nANDmNG UNIT Human n. cansan, remmer, N. .1., assigner u Aluminum Company of America, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application December 19, 1942, serial No. 469,557

eclaims. (o1. 294-86) Y This invention relates to work "handling units particularly adapted to the lifting and manipulating of heavy bulky objects such as large metal insots or bar and other similar work. It is dimcult for the operator to lift and manipulate such objects when, for instance, they are processed on amachine such as an lngot scalper. The primary object of this invention is to provide a unit by which such objects may be lifted and then positively rotated through, if desired, a predetermined arc. Another is the provision of a r tong-like unit with work engaging membersrso mounted on the law ortong arms thereof .as permit rotation of the work held by said members. Additional objects of the invention will beA referred to. or will be apparent, from the following description of a preferredembodlment of the invention and Vfrom the accompanying drawings ln which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation view of the preferred v unit with parts cut away to reveal certain features thereof.

'. Fig.2isanendelevatlonofsaidunlt,theview shown being as indicated by line II-II of Fig. 1. AFig.3isofasectiontakenalonglineIII-Ill of the unit shown in Fig. l.

Fig. disasideelevationofsaidunit with its parts in work position.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the work engaging element shown in Fiss. 1 to 4, inclusive.

biect o! the invention A gage the work. Such a movement is indicated.

` I4. If, however, the unit is to be used only atv one place, it may be equally well supported. from the licor, in which case elements suchas hook I I' and plate I3 maybe eliminated.

The unit includes mechanism for eiecting two essential movements of certain of its The v:Irst movement, in sequence, is the closing and opening of Jaw members I to engage and disenby Fig. 4 by the full line and dotted line posi-v tions of tile jaw members.V The second movement 'is the rotation of tne work engaging means,

carried on the jaw members, to rotate the workpiece held therebetween,

It is not necessary that both of the tong arms or jaw members I be movable, and, one of them wise of the frame 2, thus maintaining the balance of the unit around tne suspension point II.

.Each jaw member or arm consists of an assem- Fig. 6 is a front elevador: of a modilied work engaging element.

Fig. 'I illustrates a work piece prepared for ensagement by the element shown in Fis. 6.

Fig. isasideelevationofaunitembodying the invention in a somewhat modiiied form.

As shown in the drawings, in which like numerals designatelikeparts, theunlt broadly comracks I, for eliecting such movement, work m1- gaging means such as part lfaid studs i rotatably mounted on the said jaw members and -mere shown, the unit is adapted to be moved to theV place of operation, and there suspended. by a, travelling hoist o1- crane, the entire unit is supported by the hoist hook Il attached to susplate I2 which is attached to the framebly mounted on the stili legs I5'which are attached to and carried on blocks I6. These blocks are mounted ior movement in slide supports I1 recessed into the side members of the frame,

and the blocks are held in position therein by cross members 20. The slide supports I'I extend lengthwise of the frame and also support the` l movement of the rack arms I8 upon each of which is mounted, for engagement with the pinion'3, the racks L Each rack arm, at its end 'adjacent' the arm I, is provided with an angled portion 29 which is .attaclied, as shown gener-v vally at I9, tocross member 20. Thus each arm I forms with a rack arm I8 a unit movable in the frame 2 -under force exerted through the pinion.3 on the attached rackl. ixedon shaft 2I which is suitably mounted for f rotation in the upperV and lower frame members opposite directions, thus effecting simultaneous movement of the jaw members I toward o'r away' from, each other, lengthwise of the frame, to

close upon or'open away from the work. The

- dimensioning of this ytong-like assembly, parheld support plate I2 by members such as anales 55 ticularly as to length of frame and depth of tong or jaw arm, will determineV the ultimate sire-of In the preferred device, as shown in Figs. l to 4, i

inclusive, the assembly carried by the jaw member I is the same foreach member and, therefore, a description of one is a description ofthe is reversed to open the jaw armsv I and to thus release the work piece.

It will be apparent that a device embodying the principles of this invention may take many forms. A modified form is that shown in Fig. 8. In this form only jaw arm I is provided with rotatable other. Mounted on each such jaw member is the y work engaging means which, -as shown, consists of studs carried by a stud arm 30 mounted in the split end of shaft 9, which shaft is mounted for rotation on cross plates carried by the stiff legs I5 which compose each arm. A motor device 3l is likewise mounted on the arm and is adapted to drive shaft 9 through bevel gears S, shaft 8 and spur gears 1. In order to control rotation of shaft 9 and stud arm 30 through a predetermined arc, limit switch 32 is connected in the circuit of motor 3I and is actuated by arm 33 fixed to the split end of shaft 9 in such a position as adapts it -to eontact switch arm 34 at a given point in the rotation of shaft 9. As best seen in Fig. 4, each stud arm 30 bears two studs 5. The opposite stud arms, as shown, are so mounted as to be at 90 degrees to each other, thus providing a distributed support for the work held between them. The work contacting extremities 35 of studs 5 may take various shapes, such as points (Fig. 5) or squares (Fig. 6)

I prefer to use pointed studs, such as those shown at Fig. 5, and to provide as a driving means for the movement of the arms I a stall type motor, thus allowing the pointed ends of the studs 5 to be driven into the work piece as the arms I closev thereon until the motor stalls, thus -to hold the' ystud ends in the work by the pressure applied by such means are adapted to positively contact and' hold the work piece during the lifting and manipulation thereof. l

From the. abovedescription the operation of the preferred device embodying the invention will lbe readily understood. The unit is brought to and positioned at the work piece by means of a travelling hoist. -'Ihe operator then starts the motor 26 which, acting through the rack and pinion device above described,`moves the jaw arms I to the position shown in full line in Fig. 4, to rmly grasp 'the workpiece I0 between the rotatable work engaging means carried on each of the jaw arms.

The unit, thus engaging the work piece. is no-w lifted by thehois't tovpermit the work pieceto be rotated. The motors -3I, which are connected for simultaneous control and starting, are now started, thus rotating, through' the gears 5 and 1 and the shaft 8, the shafts 9 and stud arms 30 work engaging means (such as that shown in Fig. l) while jaw arm I' is provided' with the single fixed stud 3l, which is centered with respect to the axis of rotation of the shaft bearing the stud arm 3o on arm l. When the workpiece is contacted, stud 3l merely holds one end of the work piece at the center of rotation and provides a pivot upon which the work piece is rotated by rotation of the stud arm 30 mounted on jaw arm I. Other modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, and the embodiments here shown and described are but examples of the manner in which the invention may be practiced Within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim: Y

1. In a work handling and manipulating unit, the combination of a frame, jaw members movably positioned in said frame for movement, lengthwise thereof, work engaging means carried on said jaw members and rotatably mounted thereon, means for positively moving said jaw members` toward and away from each other to engage and disengage-the work, means for .ro--

simultaneous movement of said jaws, driving4 means to rotate said work engaging means and in combination, a frame, jaw members comprisingv stiii legs depending from said frame and vmounted for translation on said frame toward and away from each other, work engaging means rotatably mounted on said legs, driving means to positively rotateI said work engaging means through a. predetermined arc, said work engaging means comprising radially disposed studs adapted to drivingly engage the adjacent surface of said work, and means adapted to positively translate lsaid legs on said frame andto exert constant f pressure thereon after the workis engaged by mounted thereon k and, consequently, the work l piece I0 carried by` the studs. After rotation of the work piece has proceeded through the desired are and to, for instance, 'the dotted line position shown in Fig. 4, the motors 3l are' stopped as the arms 33 attached in the. desired position on the shafts 9 trip the arms fof `the limit switches 32. The unit is then lowered tb bring the work piece to rest on the desired support. an#- the motor 26 Said Studs.

4. In a work handling and manipulating unit,

in combination, a. frame, jaw members comprising a pair of stiff legs depending from said frame, one of ,said legs being mounted fortranslation on saidv frame toward and away from the other,v work engaging means rotatably mounted on 'said legs, driving .means to positively rotate said work engaging means through a predetermined arc, said' work engaging means carried by at least one jaw comprising'radially disposed studs for drivingly engaging ,the adiacentvsurface of said work and means adapted to effect said translation to close the Jaw-upon the work and to constantly press the work engaging means against said work. 5. In a work handling and manipulating unit,

in combination, a. frame, jaw members comprising at predetermined 2,890,293 for translation on said frame toward and away from each other, each of said legs having rotatably mounted theren work engaging means, driving mean's for positively rotating one of said work engaging means through a predetermined arc. and means adapted to translate said legs until said work is contacted by the work engaging means and to thereafterexert constant pressure toward said work to hold the means in contact therewith.

work engagini engagement with the end oi' said work and means thereto.

adapted for closing said jaw upon said work to clamp` the work and to apply constant pressure HERMAN H. Colson.

:a` o 6. In a work handling and manipulating unit the combination of a frame. jaw members s1id 

